What did I do wrong?
How could my partnerbetrayme like this?
The distressing questions are endless.
Noel Hendrickson/Getty Images
But seriously, why do people cheat?
A wide variety of factors can lead to sometype of affair.
Underlying many of the reasons, however, lie a few threads.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
One is the role of unmet needs.
Marital partners are not mind-readers.
Another is the lack of addressing problems directly.
And, of course, the answer your spouse gives could either be the truth or a lie.
Other times a partner may simply see infidelity as an exit strategya way to end an unhappy romantic partnership.
You are not to blame for his or her behavior.
Certainly, there are times when continuing the relationship wouldn’t be recommended.
This can be more challenging than it sounds, especially amidst the jealousy and anger.
Foremost you gotta stop cheating and lying immediately and own your choice.
Being patient and giving your spouse space is essential.
That doesn’t say it will work out.
But without accepting full responsibility (not blaming or justifying your behavior) the chances will be low.
You may benefit from the help of a trained therapist as well.
Find out which option is the best for you.
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Erratum for PMID 21180585.
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Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater?
Serial Infidelity Across Subsequent Relationships.
2017;46(8):2301-2311.
2018;63(12):3250-3252.
DOI: 10.1007/s12144-018-0079-1
Altgelt, E., Reyes, M., French, J. et al.Who is Sexually Faithful?
Own and Partner Personality Traits as Predictors of Infidelity.Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
40(5):971-982.
Park, Y., and S. Park.Partner Commitment Moderates the Association Between Commitment and Interest in Romantic Alternatives.Current Psychology.
Selterman, W., Garcia, J., and I. Tsapelas.Motivations for Extradyadic Infidelity Revisited.The Journal of Sex Research.2017.
